Hydrogen fired heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger is an alternative furnace design that utilizes the conversion of hydrogen and oxygen to water to produce heat as opposed to combustion of a fuel like natural gas or oil. The preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a fuel cell having an anode and a cathode and containing an electrolyte and a catalyst, a water tank, hoses, a gas valve, a spark plug and a heat exchanger. To use Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger, an individual connects the water tank to the office or home water line to allow it to fill with water. The fuel cell attached to the water tank provides the electricity necessary to transform the incoming water from the water tank into hydrogen and oxygen gas. A catalyst to expedite the reaction is also utilized in the water. The hydrogen and oxygen gas travel through separate hoses into the gas valve and then into the heat exchanger where the gases are mixed and ignited by the spark plug. The hydrogen and oxygen gas are transformed back into water and emit energy in the form of heat during this combustion process. The heat warms the heat exchanger. The warm heat exchanger functions in a similar fashion to gas heat exchangers. Air from an office or building is sucked through a filter and blowing system past the heat exchanger causing it to warm, and the warm air is then distributed throughout the office or home through a series of ducts and vents. The water created during the combustion of oxygen and hydrogen in the heat exchanger drops to the bottom of the heat exchanger and into the water hose to be returned to the water tank for further use.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This United States Non-Provisional Patent Application does not claimpriority to any United States Provisional Patent Application or anyforeign patent application.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures made herein relate generally to the office and homeheating industry. The invention discussed herein is in the generalclassification of alternative furnaces.

BACKGROUND

Heating homes, offices and other structures is a necessity in manyregions of the United States and throughout the world. This isparticularly true during winter months when exposure to extremetemperatures can be uncomfortable and dangerous to humans. However,heating any structure requires energy. In many cases, gas or electricenergy is used.

To heat a structure, warm air is typically forced or blown through asystem of air ducts to each of the rooms in a home or office. Air from ahome or office is drawn into the furnace and passes through a filter,where dust and other small particles are trapped. A blower unit blowsthe filtered air through the furnace and the air absorbs heat.

In a gas furnace, the heat is supplied by the burning of fuel such asgas, oil, or propane. A mixture of gas and air flows into a burner thatis ignited by a pilot. Combustion occurs, and warm air from the burnerflame rises to fill a chamber known as a heat exchanger. The heatexchanger becomes hot, and air passing around the heat exchanger absorbsthat warmth and continues into the air ducts to be distributedthroughout a home or office. The gases that are created by the burningfuel are released outside the home or office through a vent pipe. Even agas furnace utilizes some electricity to power the blower unit.

In an electric furnace, heat is generated by an electric heatingelement. Electric current traveling through the element creates heat. Bythe heat transfer process called conduction and convection, heat istransferred into the air stream and flows through the air ducts into therooms of a home or business.

Numerous problems can arise with both gas and electric furnaces. A gasfurnace that is cracked or contains holes or small leaks can releasecarbon monoxide into a home or place of business. Carbon monoxide iscolorless, odorless, and tasteless and is virtually impossible for thehuman senses to detect. Most accidental carbon monoxide poisonings occurfrom house fires, malfunctioning home-heating systems and hot-waterheaters. While the symptoms vary significantly, the most common symptomsare of carbon monoxide poisoning are headaches, nausea, vomiting,dizziness and fatigue. On-going carbon monoxide poisoning may lead tomore serious conditions such as coma and even death.

In addition to the dangers to humans, gas furnaces can also presentdanger to the environment. Hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide are oftendispensed into the atmosphere during gas furnace use, causing damage tothe ozone layer and other parts of the environment.

As the cost of oil energy increases and pollution rises, scientists arecontinuously researching alternative sources of energy. The UnitedStates Department of Energy is actively researching solar, wind,biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, and ocean energy.

Electric furnaces present their own unique set of problems. The primaryproblem associated with electric furnaces is the cost. Heating a home oroffice exclusively with an electric furnace can dramatically increase auser's electric bill. Electric furnaces also can lead to electricalfires and other dangers to the occupants of a home or business.

Hence, there is a need in the art for a convenient to use, inexpensive,durable, safe and effective device for heating a home, office or otherstructure.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger is an alternative furnace design thatutilizes the conversion of hydrogen and oxygen to water to produce heatas opposed to combustion of a fuel like natural gas or oil.

The preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes a fuel cell having ananode and a cathode and containing an electrolyte and a catalyst, awater tank, hoses, a gas valve, a spark plug and a heat exchanger.

Other embodiments of the invention may utilize alternative power sourcesto the fuel cell to generate the electricity to convert water intohydrogen and oxygen gas.

The invention utilizes two abundantly available elements, hydrogen andoxygen. Water, which contains both hydrogen and oxygen, is convertedinto hydrogen and oxygen gas during the operation of the invention. Thefollowing reaction must occur: 2H₂O→2H₂+O₂. Because this reaction isendothermic, energy and often a catalyst must be provided. However, thereverse reaction, 2H₂+O₂→2H₂O, is exothermic which means the reactionwill provide energy. The combustion of hydrogen gas and oxygen gasyields water and a significant amount of energy that can be dissipatedas heat.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a device to heathomes, offices and other edifices.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device to heat homesand other structures that is environmentally friendly.

Another object of this invention is to provide an alternative to gas andelectric furnaces for heating homes or offices.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device for heating ahome or office that operates cost effectively.

Another object of this invention is to provide an affordable device toheat a home or office.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safe device to heat ahome or office.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a durable device toheat a home or office.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiment of Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger is comprisedof at least some of the following: a fuel cell having an anode and acathode and containing an electrolyte and a catalyst, a water tank,hoses, a gas valve, a spark plug and a heat exchanger.

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention. A water tank 1 that is approximately rectangular andmade of metal is connected to a fuel cell 2. The water tank 1 isapproximately twenty-four inches long, twelve inches in height andeighteen inches in width. The water tank 1 utilizes a pump (not shown)powered by electricity from the home or office to provide water to thefuel cell 2. The fuel cell 2 has an anode 3 and a cathode 4. The anode 3and cathode 4 are made of platinum though graphite or a variety of othermaterials would also work. The fuel cell 2 is approximately twelveinches in height and eighteen inches in width.

A fuel cell is a device that generates electricity by a chemicalreaction. Every fuel cell has two electrodes, a cathode and an anode.The cathode is positive and the anode is negative. The reactions thatproduce electricity take place at the electrodes. Every fuel cell alsohas an electrolyte, which carries electrically charged particles fromone electrode to the other, and a catalyst that speeds up the reactionsat the electrodes.

A hydrogen hose 5 and oxygen hose 8 connect the fuel cell 2 to a gasvalve 6. The hydrogen hose 5 and the oxygen hose 8 are approximatelycylindrical and made of metal and extend through the gas valve 6 andinto a heat exchanger 7. The hydrogen hose 5 and oxygen hose 8 have adiameter of approximately one inch and a length of twenty inches thougha variety of sizes may be utilized.

The gas valve 6 has two inlets and two outlets to handle the hydrogenhose 5 and the oxygen hose 8 in this preferred embodiment. For safetyreasons, the separate hoses will keep the oxygen and hydrogen frommixing until later in the process. Alternatively two separate gasvalves, one to handle the hydrogen hose and one to handle the oxygenhose, could be utilized. The gas valve 6 is approximately rectangularand made of metal. The gas valve 6 is five inches in height and lengthand two inches in width in this preferred embodiment though the exactdimensions are not critical.

The heat exchanger 7 is also approximately rectangular and made ofmetal. While the dimensions are not critical, the heat exchanger 7 isapproximately eight inches in height and width and five inches in lengthin the preferred embodiment. A spark plug 9 is located on top of theheat exchanger 7 for initial ignition of the hydrogen and oxygen gases.The heat exchanger 7 is the location where the hydrogen gas and oxygengas mix and combust, emitting heat and creating water.

Two check valves (not shown) are located in the heat exchanger 7 tocontrol the flow of hydrogen through the hydrogen hose 5 and oxygenthrough the oxygen hose 8. The check valves close to stop the flow ofthe hydrogen and oxygen gases when the explosion created by the sparkplug 9 occurs. When the explosion dissipates, the check valves reopen tolet more gas enter the heat exchanger 7. When the hydrogen and oxygengases are mixed properly in the heat exchanger 7, they ignite and shutthe check valves to prevent too large a quantity of hydrogen and oxygenfrom entering the heat exchanger 7 which potentially could cause toolarge of an explosion.

A water hose 10 is located at the bottom of the heat exchanger 7. Thewater hose 10 allows the water created from the combustion of hydrogenand oxygen to return to the water tank 1. The water hose 10 is made ofsimilar materials and has a similar shape as the hydrogen hose 5 and theoxygen hose 8 in this preferred embodiment. The water hose 10 has alarger diameter than the hydrogen hose 5 and the oxygen hose 8 in thispreferred embodiment and allows water to recirculate to the water tank 1to split again. If the system is air tight, there will not be any needto refill the water tank 1 from an external source after initialfilling.

Other embodiments of the invention may utilize alternative power sourcesto the fuel cell to generate the electricity to convert water intohydrogen and oxygen gas. For example, two car batteries could beutilized-one to split the water into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas and oneto run the blower system and the water pump. In this embodiment, a waterwheel would be placed inside the heat exchanger. The explosions thatcombust the gases and create heat will also be used to turn the waterwheel which in turn will turn an alternator located inside the heatexchanger. The alternator will be used to recharge the car batteries.Ideally, the timing of the explosions within the heat exchanger wouldpermit the spark plug to ignite the first explosion that will allow thehydrogen gas and oxygen gas to flow into the heat exchanger such thatthe tail end of the first explosion ignites the second explosion. Whenthis occurs, the spark plug will only need to ignite the first explosionto set off a chain of explosions.

To use Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger, an individual connects the watertank to the office or home water line to allow it to fill with water.The fuel cell attached to the water tank provides the electricitynecessary to transform the incoming water from the water tank intohydrogen and oxygen gas. A catalyst to expedite the reaction is alsoutilized in the water. The hydrogen and oxygen gas travel throughseparate hoses into the gas valve and then into the heat exchanger wherethe gases are mixed and ignited by the spark plug. The hydrogen andoxygen gas are transformed back into water and emit energy in the formof heat during this combustion process. The heat warms the heatexchanger. The warm heat exchanger functions in a similar fashion to gasheat exchangers. Air from an office or building is sucked through afilter and blowing system past the heat exchanger causing it to warm,and the warm air is then distributed throughout the office or homethrough a series of ducts and vents. The water created during thecombustion of oxygen and hydrogen in the heat exchanger drops to thebottom of the heat exchanger and into the water hose to be returned tothe water tank for further use.

The materials utilized for Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger may vary widelybut will likely include metals, plastic and electronic components. Themetals would ideally be selected from available steel or alloys of steeland aluminum. The production process related to the use of these metalsinsures that the metal is non-corrosive, durable and strong. Theselected metal should have high impact strength and be capable ofaccepting and retaining coloring materials for an extended length oftime.

The plastic used in the production will ideally be selected fordurability and longevity. Thermoplastics are commonly used in themanufacturing of components similar to those used in this invention.Polyethylene, polypropylene, and other similar thermoplastic materialswould be among those with the necessary traits. Members of this familyare recognized universally as being versatile and of high quality.

The plastic components of Hydrogen Fired Heat Exchanger can also beformed with the use of plastic molding techniques, such as injectionmolding or blow molding. Injection molding requires melted plastic to beforcefully injected into relatively cool molds. As the plastic begins toharden, it takes on the shape of the mold cavity. This technique isideal for the mass production of products. Alternatively, blow molding,a form of extrusion, could be utilized. Blow molding involves a moltentube being pushed into a mold. Compressed air then forces the moltentube against the cold walls of the mold.

All electronic components of the invention will also be ideally selectedfrom those currently having the highest industry ratings. Thesecomponents will also meet and/or exceed all safety and usageregulations. Wiring and associated connecting hardware should beinsulated and otherwise protected from intrusion by any harmful ordegrading elements, including water, medium level temperatures, and lowto medium impact force.

It should be obvious that the components of the present invention can beof various shapes and sizes. It should also be obvious that thecomponents of the invention can be made of different types of metals,plastics or other suitable materials and can be of any color.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes ormodifications may be made to the above-described embodiments withoutdeparting from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It shouldtherefore be understood that this invention is not limited to theparticular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include allchanges and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

1. A furnace device comprising: (a) a water tank connected to a powersource; (b) a first hose and a second hose connecting the power sourceto a gas valve and a heat exchanger; (c) a third hose connecting thewater tank and the heat exchanger; and (d) a spark plug operativelyconnected to the heat exchanger.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein thepower source is a fuel cell.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the watertank is approximately rectangular.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein thewater tank is made of metal.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein the firsthose, the second hose and the third hose are approximately cylindrical.6. The device of claim 1 wherein the first hose, the second hose and thethird hose are made of metal.
 7. The device of claim 1 furthercomprising a pump located within the water tank to move water from thewater tank to the power source.
 8. The device of claim 1 furthercomprising a first inlet and a first outlet on the gas valve for thefirst hose and a second inlet and a second outlet on the gas valve forthe second hose.
 9. The device of claim 1 wherein the gas valve isapproximately rectangular.
 10. The device of claim 1 wherein the gasvalve is made of metal.
 11. The device of claim 1 wherein the heatexchanger is approximately rectangular.
 12. The device of claim 1wherein the heat exchanger is made of metal.
 13. The device of claim 1wherein the spark plug is located on top of the heat exchanger.
 14. Thedevice of claim 1 further comprising a first check valve connected tothe first hose and located in the heat exchanger and a second checkvalve connected to the second hose and located in the heat exchanger.15. A furnace device comprising: (a) a water tank connected to a fuelcell; (b) a first hose and a second hose connecting the fuel cell to agas valve and a heat exchanger; (c) a third hose connecting the watertank and the heat exchanger; (d) a spark plug operatively connected tothe heat exchanger; (e) a pump located within the water tank; (f) afirst inlet and a first outlet on the gas valve for the first hose and asecond inlet and a second outlet on the gas valve for the second hose;and (g) a first check valve connected to the first hose and located inthe heat exchanger and a second check valve connected to the second hoseand located in the heat exchanger.
 16. A furnace device comprising: (a)a water tank connected to a first battery; (b) a first hose and a secondhose connecting the first battery to a gas valve and a heat exchanger;(c) a third hose connecting the water tank and the heat exchanger; (d) aspark plug operatively connected to the heat exchanger; (e) a pumplocated within the water tank and connected to a second battery; (f) afirst inlet and a first outlet on the gas valve for the first hose and asecond inlet and a second outlet located on the gas valve for the secondhose; (g) a first check valve connected to the first hose and located inthe heat exchanger and a second check valve connected to the second hoseand located in the heat exchanger; and (h) a water wheel located withinthe heat exchanger that is connected to an alternator located in theheat exchanger that is attached to the first battery and the secondbattery.